Here is your monthly dose of my Canadian engineering news created for licensed and aspiring engineers, geoscientists and technicians in Canada.
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Mary Yazdani, a computer engineer from Iran and CEO of Ottawa based RoboSafety, wants to change the culture in engineering as it relates to safety. Her team is delivering software safety tools to improve the safety analysis of designs. Every year thousands of safety recalls are issued, from cars to planes, from tires to a wide range of consumer goods. RoboSafety Canada aims to reduce the risk. Transport Canada estimates that right now 20% of cars are unsafe because safety recall work has yet to be done. RoboSafety experts say many recalls are due to safety issues being overlooked or missed in design and analysis stages. The company is developing modern software tools to help safety engineers, especially those working on robots or autonomous vehicles.
- Catherine Karakatsanis has been honored with a lifetime achievement award by Canadian Consulting Engineer magazine. Recognized for her exceptional career in consulting engineering, Karakatsanis has made significant contributions to the field, including promoting diversity and inclusion. She has worked her way up from a structural engineer to the COO of Morrison Hershfield and has been involved in various leadership roles, including heading international engineering federation FIDIC. Karakatsanis will be the first woman to serve as FIDIC's president later this year.
- GH Power, a Canadian firm, led by the CEO Dave White, is at the forefront of delivering sustainable solutions to the world. Their proprietary reactor technology, using just two inputs, produces green hydrogen, high-quality heat, and green alumina while generating zero waste and carbon emissions.
The Candela P-12 Shuttle, the world's fastest electric boat at 30 knots, uses hydrofoils for efficient energy consumption. Stockholm will receive the first 30-passenger ferry in 2023, and the company is discussing water transport solutions with 100 municipalities. Engineers are pioneering solutions in space travel, flying cars, mobile technology, and hydrogen innovation, driving adaptation and progress. Anticipating the innovations of 2023 is a source of excitement.
As beloved film cameras age, the need for maintenance and repair becomes vital. However, the trade has suffered due to the loss of skilled technicians and outdated equipment. Reveni Labs, in Ontario, Canada, aims to remedy this by offering a modern, cost-effective Camera Tester capable of advanced system analysis, adaptable for various camera types and workflows.
With a steadfast commitment to excellence, the iMicro team continuously worked to improve and perfect the iMicro series. Today, we take pride in introducing our latest innovation, the iMicro Q3, a remarkable smartphone microscope featuring superior resolution and increased magnification capabilities.
What technology or gadget are you currently enjoying and would recommend to other aspiring and licensed engineers? Let us know in the comments below.
Here are the news links to every Canadian Association. If there is anything beyond the standard stuff (elections, new appointments), I'll try to list them below. The news tends to slow down during certain parts of the year (e.g. Summer, X-Mas).
Navigating a career in engineering can be a formidable task, with a six-year degree requirement and stiff competition. Breaking into the field, especially for recent graduates seeking entry-level roles, is challenging. Engineering is a fast-growing and in-demand sector, adding to the competition. Finding a job can be frustrating, but there are strategies to ease the process. Here are some valuable tips.
Head over to our recruitment page where you can send us your resume and enter our select candidate pool. We'll contact you if your resume matches one of our client's open jobs.
Search all 300k eng. jobs | Use my three career-hunting tips for better success.
The inaugural project for an engineer carries a mix of excitement and trepidation. Preparedness and an open mindset are key. Here are seven helpful tips to streamline the process.
- In her enlightening TED Talk, aerospace engineer Karen Willcox delves into the pervasive role of data collection and computer modelling in our daily lives. She discusses the revolutionary concept of "digital twins," virtual models that adapt with real-world data, and the transformative potential they hold in engineering, climate research, and healthcare. She explores how these systems may revolutionize personalized medicine, enhance decision-making, and much more.
- In this TedTalk, Jeremy Howard, a technologist, unveils recent breakthroughs in deep learning, a rapidly advancing domain. Deep learning enables computers to acquire skills like learning Chinese, recognizing objects in images, and aiding medical diagnoses. Discover how this field is set to reshape computer capabilities sooner than you might expect.
"The fewer moving parts, the better. Exactly. No truer words were ever spoken in the context of engineering."
-Christian Cantrell
Thanks for reading, and have a great month!
Gavin Simone, P.Eng. (AB), LEED AP
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Thank yo for reading. This month, I’m asking you:
Q1. What engineering modifications do you make for daylight saving time?
Q2. What is your company using AI for (or what would you like them to see them use AI for)?
A1. I ensure that clocks or scheduling software, are updated to reflect the correct time during daylight saving time. This involves adjusting the clocks manually or configuring them to automatically adjust based on the designated start and end dates of daylight saving time. One of the main issues is setting scheduling software correctly to reflect the time changes to avoid any issues with my scheduled meetings with teams in Asia and Europe.
A2. I would like my company to use AI (especially LLMs) in daily development activities.
A1 : I have adjusted the clock in my car, stove.
A2 : Would like to see company using AI for couple things such as improving email writing, learn responses, automatically finding available slots for teams meeting, learn himself from user-searches, team responses and outlook emails.
Hi Harsh,
Thank you for the comment and insight. Yes, the AI email writing is low hanging fruit. We use Grammarly for that and its great from helping us to change the tone of our message (e.g. making it more friendly; making it more engaging).
Q2. What is your company using AI for (or what would you like them to see them use AI for)?
I’d like to see AI being used for mix and structural design of highway pavement
Q1. What engineering modifications do you make for daylight saving time?
I adjust my sleep cycle 20 minutes per day 3 days in advance of DST changeover so that the change is done in increments rather than the full 60 minutes.
Q1. What engineering modifications do you make for daylight saving time?
Since the days have been getting shorter I’ve recently been much more conscious of circadian rhythm and what Iight I’m being exposed to before sunrise and after sunset. Also experimenting with ice bath cold exposure
Hi Jerrett, thank you for the comment. I’m doing the Wim Hof Method of cold exposure for the last 6 months (i.e. 11 minutes/week of cold showers). So far, I can say it is very beneficial! Keep it up.
Q1. What engineering modifications do you make for daylight saving time? “I try to sleep earlier and wake up early to adapt with the time saving mode”
Q2. What is your company using AI for? “Our company utilizes AI for various purposes, including data analysis, automation, and improving customer experiences”
Q1 – No engineering changes required for daylight savings.
Q2 – We utilize AI to expand on engineering reports.
Q1. What engineering modifications do you make for daylight saving time?
I would like my dial wall clock to to be able to adjust automatically during daylight saving. I always adjust all my
seven wall clocks.
Q2. What is your company using AI for (or what would you like them to see them use AI for)?
I would like AI to design structurally by just giving a building dimensions.
Q1. What engineering modifications do you make for daylight saving time?
for fall back – embrace the extra hour of sleep!
Q1. What engineering modifications do you make for daylight saving time?
Not exactly an Engg mod, but I would change the time on all the non smart devices.
Q2. What is your company using AI for (or what would you like them to see them use AI for)?
My company doesn’t use AI, but I would like them to use AI, for manufacturing process- start from a billet to the finished component.
What engineering modifications do you make for daylight saving time?
reset BMS , DDC systems & verify if correct time and schedule are on the control panels.
Q2. What is your company using AI for (or what would you like them to see them use AI for)?
AI is primarily used for data collection, GPS tracking and accident prevention on military trainings.
Q1. What engineering modifications do you make for daylight saving time?
It sounds silly but I try to mentally prepare during the month of the change. I make verbal comments (out loud but to myself) about how dark the mornings or evenings are and how I wish it could be brighter or darker. Knowing that all of my tech switches over automatically it becomes a pleasant surprise when I wake up and everything is the way I wanted it.
Q2. What is your company using AI for (or what would you like them to see them use AI for)?
We use AI to simulate plastic mold flows
Thanks for the comment, Gabriel. It’s really cool to hear that your company is using AI to simulate plastic mold flows. I think it’s amazing how AI has the potential to revolutionize industries and improve efficiency and accuracy in so many ways. I hope your company is finding great success with this use of AI by improving their part design and helping with difficult to fill spots.
Q2. What is your company using AI for (or what would you like them to see them use AI for)?
Ans. Our company has started using AI for Single Point of Contact (SPOC) bots. This bot is the best place to start to find answers for questions about software, hardware, and applications supported by SPOC. It saves our time now.
Humayun, thank you for sharing your company’s experience with AI. We looked at CPOC bots a few years ago but the technology wasn’t very good at the time. Can you recommend a specific AI bot that other engineering companies might like to consider?
I don’t have to make engineering modifications w.r.t. daylight saving time. My company utilize AI to automate projects tasks.
Auto change the alarm clock to adjust time as per DST – Luckily though my province does not follow DST.
Use many Apps in the Telco cloud environment which support AI esp. for Cloud orchestration.
Q1: Honestly, daylight saving doesn’t really change much for us on the floor. Most of our machines are smart enough to adjust on their own, and for those that aren’t, it’s just a quick tweak in the system settings. No biggie, really.
Q2: We’re leaning pretty heavy into AI these days. It’s helping us fine-tune our printing processes to get the most out of our materials—pretty slick stuff. Plus, it’s a game-changer for maintenance. The system predicts when our gear is gonna need a tune-up before it actually conks out. Oh, and quality checks? We’ve got AI algorithms that spot issues faster than a hawk. It’s like having an extra set of eyes on everything we do.
A1: I’d like to start using a clock which can simulate sunrise and sunset times. Now that the days are shorter, I’m hoping to bring some more light into my environment when waking up early in the morning.
A2: My company does not currently use AI, but I would love to see it used for training purposes, or implemented in project management.
Work computer clocks definitely need to be checked for DST adjustments!
AI would be great for quality control.
Q1. What engineering modifications do you make for daylight saving time?
A1. I start to change my sleeping cycle days ahead of the time change so that when it is dark early, i can adjust to the change smoothly and less accident chances.
Q2. What is your company using AI for (or what would you like them to see them use AI for)?
A2. They have not started using it, but i would like them to use for Office applications for better email responses, reminders and data drilling for better reporting.
Q2. My company is not using AI currently. But I would like to see they are using it for design simulation (like stress analysis), drawing prototype generation, purchase order placement, stock allocation etc.